Kate hadn't expected how warm actually hearing that made her feel, how much it seemed to soothe some of her tension. And this was about the time she realized no one had ever really told her that either. Not in this context. Not in a way that counted. Ben didn't count. Gene definitely didn't.

... Yeah. She'd thought she and her body had already come to an agreement about being done with crying some time ago. She'd been wrong.

Pointlessly, she tried to hide her tears by pressing her face against his neck again. Because he totally wouldn't feel the wetness. Of course not.